Rue's Life: Before and After the Hunger Games
by juststoriesandfantasies
Summary: Rue is the youngest on one of the tributes. She is trying her best to be courageous and brave to survive the Hunger Games. Altough hunger games fan knows the sad fate of this little young girl, I'm just going to write about her life in the beginning to the end in fiction.
1. Chapter 1

Rue's Life before and after the Hunger Games Part 1

"Rue!Where are you?" I hear my father calling my name. I was too busy looking and examining at the plants. I went up, rub the dirt off my knees, and ran to my house. My father was there looking for me. "Rue, I want you to help me plant the seeds. Since you are the eldest of the siblings." I nodded my head up and down and he gave me the seeds to plant. It was very hot in the late afternoon and the sun was almost setting. We started digging and picking the soil out. Then we put one seed in it and watered it. I got tired all of a sudden. My hands were sweaty and my back was in pain. While planting, I was thinking about the reaping day tommorow. I was scared thinking about it. What if I was reaped for the hunger games? What if I die during the game? Will I survive? So many thoughts are going into my head. Then I asked my father about the hunger games. "Father, imagine you are a teenager or a kid and you are getting reaped for the hunger games, how would you feel?" My father pause and started looking at me. "Rue there's no time for asking questions, I will answer that if we are done working alright?" I said yes. I feel shaky all of a sudden and I couldn't stop thinking about it. For years and years I've seen the Hunger Games on tv screens. I've seen kids killing, running, and surviving to stay alive. I was nine years old when I've seen the hunger games for the first time. My parents would never let me watch it until I was nine because it can be very emotional and brutal. I remember the game and it was awful. The most horrifying thing I've seen was a teenage girl from District 1 with a sword on her hand, decapitating the boy and his head flew off. I ran to the house crying, and my parents tried to comfort me. Remembering that made my cry so hard that my father wiped his hands and hugged me. "What's wrong Rue?" father asked. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm so nervous, I'm afraid I will be reaped for the hunger games. Why did the capitol treats us like that?" father then wiped the tears from my eyes. "I know how you feel Rue but there's nothing I can do to stop the Capitol. Just wish that you'll be never be reaped but if you did, be strong and brave. Don't think about death, think about surviving and staying alive. I'm sorry but this is how it is" The way father spoke made me feel depressed but I wished that I'll never be reaped. "Okay now stop crying and start planting and watering those seeds okay?"After that, I wiped the tears a little more on my face and started working.

After working father and I were very tired. I was happy when we finally went home. My father went to bed and I was very hungry but sadly the peacekeepers barely gave us any food. My family are almost starving to death. Then in the cabinet, I took some apples wrapped in cloth and put it in the table. My mother was very shocked. "Rue, where did you get these?" " I stole it while my father and I were working on the fields. The peacekeepers are unaware about it so don't worry" My mother was very angry because I have done this several times. I would sneak into the fields and take some fruits and vegetables for my family to eat. "What your doing right now is wrong Rue, you know you will be punished for stealing" then my mother and siblings started looking at the apples. I knew they very hungry. "Alrigthesis but this is the last one okay?" "Yes mother" I hugged my mother and she kissed my forehead. She's telling me that it's getting late now and she also mention about the reaping day. I took a bath, combed my hair and changed into my nightwear. I couldn't sleep at all. I was lying down, still thinking about the reaping day tommorow. I couldn't believe that I'm at the age were its right for a kid like me to fight for the hunger games. I got out of bed and went to my parent's bedroom. I snuggled right between my mom and dad and went under the sheets. Then mother put her around me, saying that I'll be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

"Rue! Wake up!" my little sister was jumping up and down to wake me up. My parents were not in bed, they're in the kitchen waiting for me. As soon as sister and I came out of the room, my parents saw me and my mother stood up and took the dress that I'll be wearing for the reaping day. I didn't have to take a bath because I already did last night due to the dirty working. After wearing that dress, my mother fixed my curly hair in front of the mirror. She made it into a ponytail. My dress was navy blue with white buttons on it and the skirt was way down to the knees. I'm also wearing white stockings and black shoes. "Your so pretty Rue" one of my siblings said. "She is pretty" mother said after finishing my hair. I said thank you and gave my siblings a big hug. Then my mother and father did the same thing. It was a family hug.

While walking down to the front of the Justice Building, I see Posie who is my very best friend. She was a year older than me and this is her second time to be in the reaping. We were always close together even at good times and bad times. I came to her and hold her hand. She clutched it tightly and I can feel her nervous emotion from the rapid heartbeat on her wrist. In front there was children lining up to get in the reaping. Before they do, the peacekeeper has to take their blood samples to check their DNAs. "It's okay Rue, it'll only hurt a little" Posie said. The peacekeeper took her finger and inject the sample device into the skin directly. The device says her name and she was free to go. Now it was my turn and the peacekeeper did the same thing to me from Posie. After that I was free to go but Posie was somewhere else, she was at the section where there are teenagers older than me. I was at the front section were there are the girls at my age. Before the reaping starts, the mayor came out of the Justice Building. He went to the stage to go in front of the podium and announced that the reaping had just begun. He made a speech about those Dark Days and why the Hunger Games were made. During the speech I looked at Posie who was far right behind me. She smiled and I smiled back. After finishing his speech, he went to his seat and a strange lady stood up and went to the podium. I can tell she was from the capitol. She has long brown hair with blue highlights. She was wearing a blue top hat, blue dress, blue high heels, and some heavy makeup on her face. "Welcome! Children of District 11! My name is Rosie Summers and I will be the one who escorts the tributes to the Capitol." I was annoyed by her accent, I wonder why the people from the Capitol would speak with that accent. "Before I pick the name for the tribute, There is a short film that was made all the way to the capitol." The screen above the Justice Building turns on and starts with the national anthem of Panem. It shows footages of the great war and the horrible things that happened during that time. Then the nation called Panem has risen with the Capitol ruling over 13 districts. The Dark Days began when one of the districts became violent and rebellious towards the Capitol. It ended when District 13 was bombed and destroyed. After that, the hunger games were made. This is what the narrator said:

_The treaty was signed and the Hunger Games had begun. And so as decreed that each year, the twelve districts of Panem. One young man and woman ages 12-18 has to fight until the death._

The film ends with a blank and Rosie began to spoke. "Well isn't that wonderful? Now it's time to pick two tributes but ladies first." She put her hand into the bowl where there are pieces of paper with names of the girls. Her hand scattered them quicly until she picked one. I closed my eyes, hoping that it wasn't my name. I feel shaky and my heart was beating fast. The girls and I started holding our hands until... "The female tribute will be Rue!" I opened my eyes, shocked in disbelief.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Everyone was looking at me. I couldn't believe it was me! I didn't want to move at first but the peacekeepers grabbed me by the shoulder so I can start walking through stage. "Well well, we have a little girl for a tribute, come here and introduce yourself!" Rosie said. I was now on stage and I was very nervous. Rosie grabs the microphone and faces it towards my mouth. "Well sweetheart, what's your name and how old are you?" "My name is Rue and I'm 12 years old" While speaking, I can see my family behind the children. My mother almost cried that she buried her face into father's shoulder and puts her arms around him. "Well its your first time on reaping isn't it? Now let's have an applaud!" but instead of an applause, people put their right hands up and do a three finger gesture. The gesture actually means good luck or farewell when someone dies. "And now for a male tribute!" She goes to the other bowl where there are names for the boys. She puts her hand in it and finally picked one. She came to the podium and said "And now for the male tribute, Thresh!" I look around and there he was. He was definitely older than me. He is 18 and dark skin like me. He is the type of boy who might win in the hunger games because he is very strong. He came on stage and introduce himself like I did. I knew him because father used to hang out with him. He is also nice that he would sometimes play and tell stories to the children and my siblings. "Well we finally picked the tributes from District 11! Thresh and Rue! The tributes from District 11!" We looked at each other and he smiled and raised his eyebrows."Well come on! shake hands!" Rosie said. I let my hand out and Thresh grabbed it and shakes.

After the reaping, Thresh and I went to the Justice Building but we are on different rooms. My family will come until Thresh, Rosie and I jump on board in a train. The door opens and it was Posie. She ran to me and hugged me. "Oh Rue! I'm sorry! If only if I was brave enough to volunteer." "It's okay, father told me if I was reap for the hunger games, I should be brave and think about life rather than death." Posie then started to cry. "Please! Don't die! Stay alive so you can win and come home. Then we'll play and look at the beautiful flowers in the fields like we always do!" The peacekeeper came, meaning it's time for Posie to get out. "Just don't die okay?!" Before I say okay the peacekeeper grabbed her by the arms and got her out. I can hear her yelling my name and crying. I'm almost in tears because I'm going to miss her. Later on my family came in. "Rue! Your here! Thank goodness!" My mother hugged me first, then my father and my siblings gave me a hug. My father then started to speak. "Remember what I told you okay? Think about life rather than death okay?" I nodded my head and said yes. " We'll see you in the arena and please just try to win." My little brother was in tears and I've never seen him cry before. I gave him a hug, told him don't cry because I'll be okay. Later on the peacekeeper told them its time to go and they did. Now I'm just here all alone, thinking about life rather than death. My thoughts are going crazy in my head. Will I stay alive or just die? Will I be strong or weak?


End file.
